In southwesterly winds averaging 12 knots, the Aussie pair blitzed the fleet in the first race of qualifying, only to drop back to 11th in race 2.

"It was really difficult out there today. The wind was shifting 30 degrees. We did well in the first race, but lost five or six boats up the last work and finished nowhere," said skipper BUNDOCK. The 2006 World Champion crew is in fourth place overall on day one.

After a solid fifth in race 1, backed up by a win in race 2, Olympic medallist Mitch BOOTH and his crew Pim NIEUWENHUIS (NED) will head into tomorrow's racing one point clear at the top of the qualifying table. The two have qualified for Beijing and are keen for a good result here.

Fresh from their second place at the Tornado Asia Pacific Championship last week, Olympic triallists Andrey KIRILYUK and Valery USHKOV (RUS) had a good day. They trail the Dutch in second place after a fourth and third respectively, while the reigning World Champions, Fernando ECHAVARRI and Anton PAZ (ESP) are one point further back.

"Really difficult. There was a lot of turbulence in the water. Lots of big shifts," PAZ said on coming ashore this afternoon.

"We have some work to do preparing for the upcoming World's. We want to spend all our day our there," ECHAVARRI admitted.

Rohan LANGWORTHY and Jack PUNCH are the only other Australians in the top 20, in 15th place overall.

Men's 470

Reigning 470 World titleholders Nathan WILMOT and Malcolm PAGE (AUS) have got a bit of work to do following day one of qualifying races at the Asia Pacific Regatta at host venue Sandringham Yacht Club today.

The Aussie pair is laying seventh overall following two consistent fifth placings, but they trail the top of the table combination of Sime FANTELA and Igor MARENIC (CRO).

PAGE said they managed to take advantage of the good conditions in race 1 to help keep them in contention.

"Good, even wind, shifty. It helped us come back from 30th to fifth in the first race," PAGE said.

World #3 ranked Finn sailor Ed WRIGHT (GBR) is locked at the top of the table with Jonas HOEGH-CHRISTENSEN (DEN) following the first two qualifying races of the Asia Pacific Regatta today.

Four-time Finn Gold Cup winner and Olympic gold and silver medallist Ben AINSLIE (GBR) is unusually poised in third place following two third places on day one.

AINSLIE, recently selected to the British team for Beijing, has an incredible record in the Finn and is by far the man to beat at this regatta, heading into what could potentially be his fifth Gold Cup victory next week.

Australia's Beijing rep, Anthony NOSSITER, is in outright fifth following a fifth and seventh on day one.

SLINGSBY won his first race of the day, however was turned around on the line of his second race following a false start, relegating the hot favourite to 43rd overall.

Undeterred by his results, having the ability to drop one bad result after five races, SLINGSBY remained buoyant about the series.

"The good guys are all competing…all the major players are here. It's going to be great racing," the 22 year old said today.

Leading the Laser qualifying after day one is Milan VUJASINOVIC (CRO), ahead of Britain's top player Paul GOODISON and Abe TORCHINSKY (CAN) in equal second place. This is an important event ahead of the Laser Worlds to be held at Terrigal in February.

A number of sailors contending for the title are here preparing for the Laser Master's Worlds, also to be held at Terrigal. Mark TONNER JOYCE was the best placed of the Apprentice Master, currently 47th overall, whilst Jan SCHOLTEN (AUS), Master, is 50th in this hot fleet.

Laser Radial

Set to represent at her second Olympic Games when she heads to Beijing, Laser Radial sailor Sarah BLANCK (AUS) started her Asia Pacific Regatta in fabulous form today.

BLANCK, who hails from Melbourne, is in equal first position following a second and first place at her home club Royal Brighton Yacht Squadron. She will go head to head with Sari MULTALA (FIN) when sailing continues tomorrow, with both sailors five points clear of New Zealand star Jo ALEH.

Australians Peter RUSSELL and Peter THOMPSON are joint leaders after day one of the 2.4mR Paralympic class racing at the Asia Pacific Regatta at Sandringham Yacht Club today.

Locked in a tight tussle, both competitors traded the first two places in the first two races of the event.

THOMPSON, a two-time veteran of the Paralympic Games, is now retired from international competition but remains competitive at a domestic level.

"It's really nice to come out here to sail and not have to worry about the results," THOMPSON said today.

Beijing Paralympic hopeful Aaron HILL, 23, struggled with boat problems but managed to get it together by race 2.

"I broke a gooseneck early and spent a bit of time fixing it in between races. I was towed out to the second start and made it with 10 seconds to spare," HILL said today.

Hill is placed third overall, four points adrift of the leaders, and two points ahead of another two Australians, Michael LEYDON and Matthew BUGG in equal fourth position.

SKUD18

Local son and father able-bodied combination Morgan and David STALEY (AUS) opened their SKUD Asia Pacific Regatta campaign perfectly today.

Sailing at host venue Sandringham Yacht Club, Morgan and his Dad, the former Sail Melbourne event manager, opened their account with two wins, to skip three points clear of Amy BARNBROOK and Denis CRITCHLEY (AUS), who campaigned for the Paralympic Games but just missed out. In third place, just one point further behind is Duncan and Peter MACGREGOR (AUS).

Tom Burton (AUS) and Alison Young (GBR) hit the right note in the Laser and Laser Radial at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as they took out the top honours and qualification spots to the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final.

It was double Australian gold in the Paralympic classes. Matt Bugg (AUS) came out on top in the 2.4mR whilst London 2012 Paralympic SKUD18 gold medallists Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch (AUS) were triumphant in the two person keelboat.

Lithuania's Juozas Bernotas came out on top in the Men's RS:X whilst Russia's Stefania Elfutina was triumphant in the Women's RS:X. Both sailors claim the first Abu Dhabi ISAF Sailing World Cup Final spots whilst Jock Calvert (AUS) and Joanna Sterling (AUS) picked up the Oceanic spots for the Emirati finale.

There was some fast paced action in the 49er and 49erFX Medal Races at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as Nathan Outteridge & Iain Jensen (AUS) and Maia & Ragna Agerup (NOR) claimed the honours and Abu Dhabi final spots.

A tight group of five young Papua New Guinean (PNG) Laser sailors are stepping up their 2015 Pacific Games competition program using this week's ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne. PNG is one of 33 countries represented at the important Oceanic event, the largest Olympic sailing regatta in the southern hemisphere.

Nicolai Sehested (DEN) and his TREFOR Match Racing Team clinched victory today at the Energa Sopot Match Race, Poland, the 10th stage and World Championship Event of the 2015 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT).

There was no stopping current, and five-time ISAF Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams (GBR), GAC Pindar today at the Energa Sopot Match Race as he swiftly dispatched his Quarter Final opponent Joachim Aschenbrenner (DEN) in three straight wins.

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) continues to address concerns and is taking steps to ensure the health and safety of all athletes who will be competing in the upcoming Aquece Rio, Olympic Test Event and the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition.

Veteran Polish match racer and America's Cup helmsman Karol Jablonski skilfully played the gusty conditions today to lead the twelve strong field of teams at the end of Day 2 of Qualifying at the 2015 Energa Sopot Match Race.